It's
been suggested that keeping two commuter lanes of the Robert Moses
Parkway open from Lewiston to Findley Drive in Niagara Falls would be a
reasonable compromise to the Niagara Heritage Partnership proposal for
total removal of all four lanes and the restoration of natural
landscapes along the gorge rim. Those making such a
suggestion seem to do so from the lofty perch of being rational, of
offering a solution to an issue that has created opposing camps.But while we recognize that compromise is often the best path, we
should also be willing to admit that sometimes it isn’t.The results of the suggested compromise need to examined.In this case, the results would be: 1) traffic would continue to
detour the city of Niagara Falls by using the parkway lanes-Findley
Drive-Whirlpool route, thus failing to contribute to the city’s
economic revitalization, 2) the wildlife habitat (Globally Significant
Important Bird Area), the potential enlargement of green space near the
gorge, would not be significantly realized, 3) a major component of the
NHP proposal, the development of an ecotourism destination for a new
population of visitors would no longer be viable, since cycling or
hiking alongside a commuter route is not highly valued by those
organizations and families who seek green vacations,4) the integrity of the gorge ecosystem would continue to be
degraded by the application of road salt, herbicide, etc.,5) it would result in only 1.6 miles of the 6.5 miles of gorge
rim being free of parkway, 6) the neighborhoods of DeVeaux and Fort Gray
would continue to be cut off from the gorge by lanes of traffic, 7) the
old growth forest known as DeVeaux Woods would continue to be an
isolated and restricted woodlot bordered by parkway lanes, 8) the gorge
top area at Devil's Hole State Park would continue to be a sliver of
land reduced by as much as 60% by highway lanes, curbs, medians, etc.,
9) the construction of a greenhouse, a glassed-in space over what are
now parkway lanes across the Power Plant, with nursery and a restaurant,
would be a discarded idea, 10) the idea of creating a pocket park/rest
area for hikers and cyclists under the Lewiston Queenston Bridge would
be useless, 11) the National Heritage Area and the International Niagara
Peace Park designations, should such distinctions be earned for our
region, would be less impressive without a highway-free and restored
gorge rim, an emblem of our respect for the natural environment, 12) the
continuing national media coverage that would be generated by such a
large restoration project in a world-famous natural locale would be
lost.

The
reasons that gave rise to the idea of "compromise" are 1) The
unsubstantiated claim that gorge parkway lanes are necessary for the
business interests of Lewiston and Porter (further detailed information
at www.niagaraheritage.org under “Olmsted, Thoreau, and the Parkway
Issue”), and 2) The parkway saves time (about five or six minutes,
actually) for commuters in an area where the average commute is among
the shortest in the nation. Weighed against the many
positive benefits to the region that would result from complete parkway
removal and gorge rim restoration, we believe these reasons for the
retention of two lanes to be insufficient. That is why the
Partnership strongly rejects this so-called compromise. Bob
Baxter, Conservation Chair